British boxer Henry Cooper feeds Pickles the dog with a huge leg of turkey - a reward for finding the World Cup trophy.

Credit: PA

In March 1966, a few months before the start of the World Cup finals in England, a mongrel dog named Pickles found the missing Jules Rimet trophy in a London street.

One week before Pickles came to the rescue, the priceless trophy had been stolen from the Westminster's Methodist Central Hall where it was being displayed, albeit in a glass cabinet.

And this despite the presence of no less than five security guards. On that fateful Sunday, however, the guard stationed next to the trophy had taken the day off. The thieves stole in through a back door and snatched away the World Cup.

For his winning role in the tale, Pickles was made Dog of the Year in 1966 and awarded a year's free supply of dog food. His owner, a Thames lighterman named David Corbett, was a prime suspect in the case and police questioned him for hours before he was cleared.

David Corbett with his dog Pickles and his wife Jeanne.

Credit: PA

The thief was eventually unmasked as Edward Betchley, a 46-year-old ex-soldier who insisted that he was just the middle-man. Betchley told police that the mastermind behind the crime was known as The Pole, although to this day it's not clear if he existed.

Relieved police show off the Jules Rimet trophy to the media at a press conference.